Vania



May 26, 1931 w LEE 1,806,691

. RAILWAY TRAFFVIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. so, 1926 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 13 WWI 4,

May 26, 1931. F. w. LEE 1,806,691

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 30, 192 6 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 26, l93l' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK w. LEE, or BAnrIMonE, MABYLAND,'ASSIGNOR to THE UNION SWITCH &

SIGNAL COMPANY, or swIssvALnrEnnsYLvANm, A conronarron or rnnnsyn VANIA RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application filed October 30, 1926. Serial No. 145,264.

My invention relates to railway traffic Concated at intervals along the trackway. More particularly my present invention relates to train carried receivers for use in such apparatus.

I will describe several forms of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view, partly diagrammatic, illustrating'one form of train carried receiver embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1' adjacent a track-' way member B. Figs. 3'and 4 are fragmental viewsillustrating two modifications of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 and also embodying my invention. Fig. 5 is a view showing a modified form of the receiver illustrated in Fig; l'and also embodying my invention. Figs. 6, 8, 10 and 12 are views showing further modifications of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5' and also embodying my invention. Figs. 7 9, 1'1

and 13 are views showing the condition of the apparatus illustrated in Figs.'6, 8, 10 and respectively, n the train is adjacent a trackway member B. a v i Similar reference 'charactersrefer to simi lar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to'Fig. 1, the receiver comprises a magnetizable traincarried core-A which, as here shown, is U-shaped and comprises a back strap l and two legs 2 and 2 The core also comprises two aligned arms 3 and 3 projecting inwardly fromthe legs 2 and 2 but separated by an air gap. Magnetic flux is supplied tothe magnetic circuit including the back strap 1 and the two arms 3 and 3 by a suitable source of magnetomotive force which in the present embodiment comprises a winding 4 placed upon the back strap 1. Current is supplied to the winding 4 in parallel with a' condenser 5 from a suitable source of energy which as here shown comprises an alternator M. With this arrangement of apparatus, then, an alternating flux is supplied to the core A and this flux normally flows along the path designated by the broken line 16through the magnetic circuit including the arms 3 and 3 and the back strap 1 of the core A.

The core alsocarries two other windings one ofwhich is made up of two coils 6 and 6 located upon the arms 3 and 3, respectively, and the other of which is made up of two coils 7 and 7 a located onthe legs 2 and 2 of the core A below the arms 3 and 3 Coils 7 and-7 and 6 and 6* are connected in series with a relay R and a condenser 9. The major portion of the flux supplied to core A by winding flows through the path 16 described hereinbefore but a portion of the flux flows through legs 2 and 2 and across the air gap separating the pole faces 11 'a-nd ll of the core. The parts are so arranged that the voltages normally induced in windings 6 and 6 oppose the voltages produced in windings 7 and 7 The parts are further proportioned so that under normal conditions the voltages of coils 6 and 6 aregreater than the voltages of the coils 7 and 7 and current is therefore normally supplied to the relay R in one relative instantaneous direction from coils6 and 6 in opposition to the cur.- rent which the voltages in the coils 7 and 7 tend to-drive through the relay.

The core A carried on the train is arranged to cooperate'with trackway members located at intervals along the trackway and each comprising a magnetizable core B such as is shown in Fig. 2and provided with a" winding 10. .Winding 10 is provided with a circuit including a front contact 13 of a control relay K and acondenser 12. When the'relay is energized. therefore, the circuit forwinding 10 is closed, but when relay K is de-energized the circuit for windinglOi is open. The relay K is usually controlled by trafiic conditions in advance by means form ing no part of the present invention and omitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity. The parts are so arranged that when the train passes one of the trackway 7 members B, the core bridges the air gap betweenthe'pole faces 11 and 11 of the train L'Ji carried core A. If the circuit for winding 10 of the member B is closed when the train passes the member the eliective reluctance of the member to flux the core A is so great that there is substantially no change in the distribution of the flux in the core A. If, how ever, the circuit for winding 10 is open when the train passes the member B, an increased portion of the flux supplied to the core by the winding 4 traverses the path 18 (see Fig. 2 and a correspondingly decreased portion of the flux traverses path 16. As a result of this change in the distribution of the flux in core A the voltages induced in coils 6 and 6 are decreased and the voltages induced in coils 7 and 7 are increased. This change in thevoltages induced in the windings which supply current to the relay R continues until the voltages induced in coils 7 and 7 are equal to the voltages induced in coils 6 and 6. At this instant no current flows to relay R and the relay becomes de-energized. As the change in the distribution of the flux continues the voltage in coils 7 and 7 becomes greater than the voltages inducedin coils 6 and 6 and the current in relay R is then reversed in relative instantaneous direction.

The relay B may be of any suitable type and is here illustrated as a two element relay arranged to hold its front contact 8 open when supplied with current of such reversed relative instantaneous direction and may be used to control in any suitable manner train governing means not shown in the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the relay R is a simple two-position alternating current rolay, but this relay could be replaced as shown in Fig. 3 by a direct current relay R receiving energy from a receiver through arectifier G of any suitable type.

In Fig. 4 the relay R is replaced by a polarized alternating current relay R comprising one winding 14 supplied by energy from the receiver and a second polarized winding 15 receiving energy from a suitable source. As here shown this source is an alternator M In the mo-oiiied form of receiver shown in Fig. 5 the parts are similar to corresponding parts of the receiver illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 except that coils 7 and 7 are placed on the legs 2 and 2, respectively, of the core A between the back strap 1 and the arms 3 and 3 With this arrangement the voltages induced in coils 7 and 7 are substantially constant, irrespective of whether the core is over a trackway member B or not. Under normal conditions the major portion of the flux supplied to the core traverses the path 16. The parts are so proportioned that under these conditions the total voltage induced in coils 6 and 6 is greater ban the voltage induced in coils 7 and 7 so that current flows in one relative instantaneous direction through the relay R. lVhen the receiver passes a trackway member B having its winding 10 open-circuited, the amount of flux linking windings 7 and 7 is increased while the amount of flux linking windings 6 and 6 is decreased. As a result the voltages induced in windings 6 and 6 are materially decreased to a value at which the voltages supplied by these coils are smaller than the voltages supplied. by coils 7 and 7 It will be manifestthatwhen this occurs, the current supplied to relay R flows through the relay in the opposite relative instantaneous direction.

Referringnow to the apparatus shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the back strap 1 of the core A is constructed with a comparatively small cross-sectional area, and the arm 3 completely bridges the two legs 2 andQ. A single winding 7 on the arm 3'is connected with the relay B. An additional winding 20 located on the arm 3 is connected in series with winding 4 to the alternator M in such manner that windings 4 and 20 tend to send flux through the magnetic circuit including the back strap 1 and the arm 3 in opposite directions. But the parts are so proportioned that under normal conditions the flux supplied by winding 4 over-balances the flux supplied by winding 20 and flux is therefore supplied over the path 16 in Fig. 6 in opposition to the magnetomotive force of winding 20. This flux linking winding 7 induces in the winding a voltage which sends current through the relay R in one relative instantaneous direction. When the receiver passes a trackway member B with its winding 10 open-circuited as shown in Fig. 7, a portion of the flux supplied by winding 4 traverses the path 18 through the legs 2 and 2 and the trackway member B. Due to the comparatively high reluctance of the back strap 1 resulting from its comparatively small cross-sectional area, substantially all of the magnetomotive force of winding 4 is consumed in driving flux through path 18 including theback strap. Substantially all of the magnetomotive force of winding 20 is therefore available to drive flux through the core and the trackway member over thepathdesignated at 21 in Fig. 7. It will be-seenthat the relative direction of the flux in arm 3 under these conditions is reversed so that there is induced in winding 7 a voltage which drives current through relay R in the direction opposite with respect to the current which is supplied to this relay under normal conditions. It follows that the relative polarity of the current supplied to relay R is reversed when the train passes a trackway member having its winding 10 open-circuiteda Referring now to Figs, 8 and 9 the receiver in the form here shown comprises a U-shaped core having a single arm 3 extending from leg 2 toward leg 2 but spaced from the leg Q by an air gap. Arm 3 carries a winding til which is connected in series opposition with winding 4 on the back strap 1 to the alternator M as in Figs. 6 and 7 and windin 7 on the arm 3 is connected with the relay Under normal conditions flux from winding 4 over-balances the opposing flux of winding 20 and flows through the path designated at 16 in Fig. 8. When the receiver is located over a trackway member B having its winding 10 open-circuited, however, the or portion of the flux from winding 4 traverses the path 18 as best shown in Fig. 9. Under these conditions, the flux supplied by winding 20 traverses the path shown at 21 in Fig. 9; It will therefore be seen that the operation of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is similar to the operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with the single exception that the air gap introduced between the arm 3 and leg 2 of the core A permits improved shunting of the core and consequently insures a more certain de-energization of relay R and reversal of the current through the relay.

In the receiver shown in Figs. 10 and 11 h the arm 3 is replaced by a second core located between the legs 2 and 2 of the core A and completely separated therefrom by'air gaps. The core 25 carries the windings 7 and 20 and is normally included in the magnetic circuit through which flux traverses the path 16 (Fig. 10). When the receiver is adjacent a trackway member 13, however, the flux traverses two separate shunt paths 18 and 21 as shown in Fig. 11 so that the relative direction of the flux through the core 25 is reversed, and the relative instantaneous direction of the current in the relay R is also reversed.

In Figs. 12 and 13 the receiver comprises two parallel horizontally disposed cores26 and 27. Core 26 carries the winding 4 and core 27 carries the windings 7 and 20. The parts are so proportioned that under normal conditions. the flux in the cores traverses the path 28 as shown in Fig. 12. When the train is over a trackway member B having its winding 10 open-circuited as shown in Fig. 13, flux from winding 4, through core 26 is shunted by the member B over the path 29'away from core 27 and windings 7 and 20. In similar manner, the member B is included in another magnetic circuit 30 over which flux from winding 20 is shunted away from core 26. It follows that when the train passes a trackway member the direction of the flux in core 27 is reversed and hencethe relative instantaneous direction of the current in relay R is also reversed.

flux is supplied to the core from a source of alternating magnetomotive force but this particular feature is not essential.

In each of the forms of apparatus herein shown and described one quantity, either a voltage or a magnetomotive force, is balancedtion in the current supplied to relay R can be obtained in apparatus using my invention with the trackway member spaced a greater distance from the train carried receiver than has been possible with the apparatus heretofore suggested. This feature is valuable because there is less danger of interference with the clearance diagrams of a railroad with apparatus embodying my invention than with apparatus at present known to the art.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of train carried apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appeneded claim without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In combination, a train carried receiver comprising two straight parallel horizontal cores, a winding on one core, a relay connects ed with the winding, a magnetic circuit including the two cores in series, two sources of magnetomotive force one on each core for sending flux through the magnetic circuit in opposite directions, and a member located in the trackway and arranged when the train is in a predetermined position to be parallel to and between the two train carried cores, so that flux from each said core is shunted away from the other core by said member.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature.

FREDERICK IV. LEE. 

